Valley RM hull repair??

Advice
#1

Have a friend who has a Valley RM Avocet that has a gouge in the bottom of the hull. It looks like it goes all the way through the first layer in the hull. Now I know single layer plastic hulls can be welding for repair but since Valley has three layers with foam in between them can this type of hull be repaired?

#2

sure
You could go with a West System GFlex epoxy repair or a melt-in plastic repair method. Not sure about the welding option.

#3

This stuff?
This stuff http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=14974&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50218&subdeptNum=50219&classNum=50220

#4

I found the right stuff
Plastic Boat Repair Kit (655-K)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a5RlcP-4JE&feature=plcp



http://www.westsystem.com/ss/repair-kits/#plastic


#5

Have you seen this?
Looks like a very good method to repair scratches in plastic. Easy too.



http://youtu.be/AL0-pvp2blY



Keep in mind that the tripple layer might not take heat the same way as a single layer. I tried to deform the underside of the cockpit rim on my Nordkapp RM using a heat gun, and that resulted in some wrinkles that I would not have seen on a single layer. It worked well otherwise the less than smooth visual effect does not matter for what I did (just bending away some protrusion that was catching on my shins) but it might be ugly in the middle of use hull.



I’d like to hear from those who have actually done a plastic repair on a tripple layer to see if they hit any snags and if there are any gotchas…

#6

Has my post disappeared? Look for
an experienced plastic welder, by asking around at local dealers. By now, plastic welders have gained experience with 3 layer poly, and they can do a good job on the outer surface.



As for G-flex, I don’t see it mating properly with the foam, and unless you use some glass cloth, I can’t see it mating well with the outer poly layer. The repairs on poly kayaks demonstrated on the West site are on single layer poly, thick enough to be flamed and butt jointed with G-flex.



Plastic welder.

#7

G Flex and three layer poly
I did a very extensive repair on an Old Town Discovery 3 layer poly canoe using G Flex epoxy and Dynel cloth. Large areas of the hull at the stems and adjacent hull bottom were worn into the foam core and nearly through the foam core at one point.



The prep has to be meticulous and the surface to be bonded needs to be flame prepped, but G Flex worked just fine to rebuild the hull where worn into the foam.

#8

OK
Thanks all

I will let me friend know about his options.

#9

Yes, as I said, cloth may be needed.
Epoxy alone doesn’t make much of a structural skin.